Winter arrived with catch-me-off-guard suddenness. It was already December. What had started as light flurries had now transformed into a heavy snowfall of goose-feather flakes. The ground was blanketed with a thick, plush comforter of snow. It was Wen Ruanqing’s very first time seeing snow, so she remained pressed against the windowpane, watching intently.
“Does my little one like the snow?”
Feng Ye crouched down behind Wen Ruanqing, gently stroking her hair. “When my little baby gets a bit bigger, you can go outside to play.”
“Play.”
Wen Ruanqing accurately captured the keyword. She snapped her head around to look at Feng Ye, her eyes brimming with excitement. “Play!”
“You can only go out to play when you grow up, okay?” Feng Ye gathered Wen Ruanqing into an embrace from behind and kissed her cheek. “My little baby is too small. You are only one year old this year, but after the New Year, you’ll be two.”
Leaning back into Feng Ye’s arms, Wen Ruanqing listened to her words with earnest attention. She could now roughly comprehend what Feng Ye meant: she needed to grow up, and she needed to wait for the New Year.
The New Year… The Lunar New Year.
Wen Ruanqing seemed somewhat sensitive to this term. In her blurry memories, the New Year had always been desolate and quiet, spent entirely alone.
Would this upcoming New Year be any different?
Looking out at the vast, white expanse of the snow-covered ground, Wen Ruanqing rallied her spirits. She pointed outside and called out, “Blanket.”
“That’s right, a big white blanket.”
Chiming in with Wen Ruanqing’s words, Feng Ye lightly rested her chin against the toddler’s shoulder and continued, “A chilly, cool blanket.”
“Mommy.”
Wen Tingyin trotted over with her hands tucked behind her back, speaking in a sweet, coaxing tone. “Can Huo Yinli and I go outside to play in the snow?”
Feng Ye smiled and nodded, saying “Alright,” but she immediately added a condition: “Can you build a little snowman for your younger sister?”
Wen Ruanqing’s physical condition made it impossible to let her go out and play. The rapid drop in temperature would be too harsh a trial for her frail health. Feng Ye did not dare to gamble with it. Yet, if her two older sisters went out to play while leaving Wen Ruanqing alone in the house, the little girl would inevitably feel left out.
“Of course we can!”
Wen Tingyin reached out to gently rub Wen Ruanqing’s cheek. Her heart had already flown right out the window. “Sister is going to build a little snowman for you. Wait for me!”
Huo Yinli had already put on her gloves and hat. She also looked at Wen Ruanqing with a slight smile. “I’m on it too.”
The two of them quickly geared up, opened the door, and dashed outside. The vast garden stretched out before the front door, so spacious that its gates could not be seen at a single glance, meaning there was no need to worry about passing vehicles or disturbing anyone else.
Keeping Feng Ye’s request firmly in mind, they played for just a brief moment before beginning to construct the snowman. Huo Yinli suggested, “I’ll shape the body, and you make the snowman’s head.”
“Okay.”
Wen Tingyin nodded obediently. She crouched down first to pack a small snowball, then began rolling it along the snowy ground. She didn’t make it too massive, fearing that an overly large size might frighten Wen Ruanqing.
“Sister.”
Wen Ruanqing pointed at her two older sisters outside the door, watching them longingly from the window. “Sister.”
Feng Ye laughed softly and coaxed her, “Your two sisters are making a snowman for my little baby.”
“Xu… Snow.”
Wen Ruanqing finally managed to articulate the word. Joy swelled within her heart as she watched the two figures outside and beamed.
Wen Tingyin and Huo Yinli assembled the snowman’s body and head together. They then took a scarf and a hat from the butler, along with a fake carrot nose and button eyes. Once everything was put together, an adorable little snowman materialized right before Wen Ruanqing’s eyes.
“Wow.”
Wen Ruanqing opened her mouth wide in dramatic wonder. It was her very first time seeing such a thing. “Snow.”
“Snowman.”
Feng Ye taught Wen Ruanqing how to say it. “Snowman.”
“Snow.”
Wen Ruanqing pressed against the window, gazing at the little snowman. It wasn’t particularly exquisite or perfectly crafted, but she could feel the love and thoughtfulness of her two older sisters. Rubbing her hands together, her eyes and brows danced with pure delight.
Wen Tingyin and Huo Yinli caught sight of Wen Ruanqing too. They waved at her, and then simultaneously hurled the snowballs they had been hiding in their hands. The two instantly plunged into a snowball fight. Standing inside, Wen Ruanqing clapped her hands, looking as though she were participating in the game herself.
“Sister!”
Wen Ruanqing cried out happily, wiggling her waist inside Feng Ye’s arms. She absolutely adored this lively atmosphere; it made her feel the true vibrancy of being alive.
Wen Ruanqing suddenly thought about the New Year. It bore no resemblance to the loneliness of her past life. Was that why she anticipated the New Year so intensely in this life?
The New Year, oh, the New Year.
Wen Ruanqing covered her eyes with her hands, praying fervently in her heart— Please come quickly!
Wen Ruanqing’s wish came true the moment she opened her eyes on the day of New Year’s Eve. When she woke up and blinked open her eyes, she discovered that the atmosphere in the house had completely transformed.
She was carried to the bathroom by Feng Ye to take a bath. Wen Tingyin was there as well. The two girls sat facing each other, playing with the water while getting washed.
“Mommy, Sister.”
As the bath went on, Wen Ruanqing grew fully awake. She greeted the two of them one after the other before squeaking the little rubber duck in her hand.
“Little Sister, today is the New Year! I get to wear new clothes!”
Wen Tingyin was bursting with anticipation for today. They usually took baths in the evening, but because the nights had been bitterly cold lately, Feng Ye didn’t feel at ease even with the home’s constant-temperature system running. She simply decided to bathe them closer to midday.
“New Year.”
Wen Ruanqing’s voice was soft and sweet. Holding the little duck, she squeezed it while lifting it toward Wen Tingyin. Seeing this, Wen Tingyin feigned a startled expression: “Ah! You scared me to death!”
Every time Wen Tingyin acted this way, Wen Ruanqing would be driven into fits of giggles.
“Alright, time to get out and put on clothes.”
Feng Ye scooped the two children out one by one. Since it was New Year’s Eve, they naturally had to be dressed up beautifully. Feng Ye had specially selected two sets of bright red outfits from the collection of new clothes.
Wen Ruanqing complied beautifully, raising her arms to be dressed in a thick, red quilted cotton top and matching red trousers. Her upper body was layered with a red-and-white vest embroidered with an adorable little lion. Wen Tingyin’s outfit was styled similarly to Wen Ruanqing’s, with the only difference being that her lower half featured a skirt.
“Little Sister, you are so cute today.”
As Feng Ye braided Wen Ruanqing’s hair, Wen Tingyin looked at her sister in the mirror and couldn’t help but praise her, “Beautiful.”
Blushing from the compliment, Wen Ruanqing shied away slightly and called out, “Sister.”
“Sister is beautiful too.”
Wen Tingyin possessed an outgoing personality and never succumbed to internal insecurities. She stood politely to the side, waiting for Feng Ye to braid her hair, her eyes brimming with anticipation for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
After finishing their baths and changing into their new outfits, the two girls held hands and took the elevator downstairs. The moment the elevator doors glided open, they spotted Huo Yinli, who had been invited over by Wen Si to spend New Year’s Eve together.
“You look truly beautiful today.”
Looking at the way the two girls were dressed, Huo Yinli thought they looked exactly like little princesses from a television drama. They were already beautiful by nature, and the vibrant red color set off their fair skin even more elegantly.
Huo Yinli had also changed into new clothes—a light blue down jacket paired with slightly wide-legged trousers. Her hair was tied up into a clean, tidy bun, making her look exceptionally neat and refreshed.
“You are beautiful too.”
Wen Tingyin led Wen Ruanqing forward. She was never stingy with her compliments. “Of course, my little sister is the most beautiful.”
Huo Yinli smiled and nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”
“Alright, my three little beauties, could you give me a hand with pasting the Spring Festival couplets?”
Wen Si brandished the couplets in her hands and blinked playfully. “Shall we do it together?”
The three girls exchanged glances, each seeing the eager desire to participate in the others’ eyes. They were only responsible for pasting the couplets on the main front door; the other doors were taken care of by the domestic staff, so they didn’t have to worry too much.
“Is it crooked?”
Wen Si held the couplets up high. “How is this height?”
Huo Yinli held the bottom of the couplets steady from below, while Wen Tingyin and Wen Ruanqing were tasked with checking if they were straight or slanted. Wen Tingyin observed carefully before shaking her head. “Not crooked!”
Wen Ruanqing followed suit and chirped, “Not!”
“Alright then!”
Wen Si swiftly secured the couplets in place, then praised the three children one by one, “Magnificent job! Let’s head back inside.”
With the couplets successfully pasted, the interior of the house was also adorned with various festive Lunar New Year ornaments, making the entire space look brimming with joy and prosperity.
Aside from Wen Ruanqing, everyone ate a proper lunch. Holding her baby bottle, she sat on the sofa watching Feng Ye prepare the dishes. The New Year’s Eve feast was being prepared by both Feng Ye and Wen Si, though Wen Si was the primary female chef handling the wok.
“I’ll fry up some meatballs for you guys to eat.”
Wen Si slipped into an apron and dove into the kitchen, executing a flurry of culinary moves. Finally, Feng Ye carried out plates of crispy fried pork strips and fried meatballs. The children usually weren’t allowed to eat much of these fried foods, but today, all the rules were relaxed.
“So hot!”
Wen Tingyin blew on her fingertips after being nipped by the heat, pinching her earlobe and puffing twice on her fingers. Once she was sure it didn’t hurt anymore, she picked up a meatball and took a bite. Finding the flavor absolutely delectable, she was just about to devour the whole thing when she felt her skirt being tugged. Lowering her head, she discovered a salivating Wen Ruanqing.
“Little Sister, can you eat this?”
Wen Tingyin looked at Huo Yinli in confusion. “Can she eat it?”
Seeing Wen Ruanqing looking like a little greedy cat, Huo Yinli spun around and ran into the kitchen to ask. She successfully returned with good news: “She can eat just a tiny, tiny bit!”
“Okay!”
Wen Tingyin immediately pinched off a tiny morsel of the meatball to let Wen Ruanqing taste it, but she refused to give her any more than that.
Even so, Wen Ruanqing was thoroughly satisfied. She actually got to eat some! She had eaten her fill!
The grand New Year’s Eve dinner was served on the table at half-past four in the afternoon. Everyone took their seats at the table. After raising their glasses for a collective toast, they began to feast. Wen Ruanqing was also portioned a tiny bit of the dishes, but not much; her primary sustenance remained her milk, alongside a hefty dose of medicine.
“Can we go set off fireworks in a little bit after we finish eating?”
Wen Tingyin was exceptionally thrilled today. “I want to set off fireworks!”
Hearing this, Huo Yinli asked in confusion, “Are fireworks allowed around here?”
Feng Ye shook her head. “No, they aren’t. But I can let you guys play with sparklers.”
“Sparklers?”
Huo Yinli had never seen such things before, and neither had Wen Ruanqing. The toddler tilted her ears to listen intently, almost forgetting to drink her milk.
However, they found out soon enough.
Each of the three girls held a sparkler in their hands. The moment the fiery sparks ignited, radiant smiles bloomed across their faces. Wen Ruanqing and Huo Yinli looked on with an even deeper sense of wonder.
“Beau…”
Beautiful!
The bright glow of the sparklers reflected in Wen Ruanqing’s face. Her gaze was warm and intensely focused, looking as though every trace of her lingering illness had been dispelled by the light.
Standing to the side, Feng Ye filmed a video of them. “Happy New Year! May the four beauties have an amazing time playing outside!”
She dispatched the video into the family group chat. Wen Si’s mother and grandmother had gone on a group tour together; they weren’t very keen on coming home for the New Year, preferring to enjoy their own lives.
“On this New Year’s Eve, I have prepared a little gift for my three children.”
Looking at the three kids who hadn’t yet had their fill of fun, Feng Ye smiled warmly and pulled three large red envelopes from her pocket. “I hope you all grow up healthy and strong! May you be happy and joyful every single day!”
“Thank you, Mommy!”
Wen Tingyin accepted her red envelope with immense delight. Huo Yinli’s face was flushed with excitement as she accepted hers too. “Thank you, Auntie.”
“My little baby—”
Feng Ye tucked a red envelope into Wen Ruanqing’s hands and arched an eyebrow. “Do you want it?”
Wen Si laughed and teased, “Say thank you to Mother.”
“Mommy.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Ruanqing spoke up instantly, leaning her body forward to plant a kiss on Feng Ye’s cheek. Seeing this, Wen Si immediately feigned a heartbroken expression. “Oh dear, don’t I get a kiss?”
Wen Ruanqing obligingly planted a kiss on Wen Si too. “Mwah.”
After giving the kiss, Wen Ruanqing noticed the deep affection reflecting in Wen Si’s eyes. She shyly snuggled her head right into her embrace. Her physical body felt warm now, and her heart felt warmer still. She had a family now; that lingering sense of loneliness deep within her soul had been completely swept away, because she was no longer alone.
This was truly wonderful.
She hoped that every single year would be filled with this exact happiness!
“Mommy!”
Feng Ye blinked her eyes open, only to see a little dumpling of a girl standing right in front of her. The little dumpling was dressed in an incredibly precious manner, wearing an exquisite western-style dress with a prominent butterfly hairpin clipped into her hair. Hugging her little school backpack close, the little dumpling spoke in a remarkably crisp, clear voice:
“Mommy, today I am finally going to preschool!”